The invention relates to three-dimensional television systems and particularly to a television system for producing high quality three-dimensional images by means of holographic techniques.
Heretofore three-dimensional systems for viewing objects, continuous scenes, etc., have existed primarily in the motion picture field, wherein real time scenes were filmed by film cameras with optical polarizing filters, and utilizing various stereoscopic techniques where two images are viewed. The resulting films were viewed with polarized glasses to provide a simulation of a three-dimensional reproduction of the original scenes.
Similarly, the television field has also utilized a double television camera system to provide a stereoscopic three-dimensional apparatus. The resulting video images are viewed on adjacent monitors. The stereoscopic video signals also may be recorded for play back into the monitor system. The monitors are viewed from a distance by means of various arrangements of polarized stereo glasses, whereby a simulation of the original scenes were effected in three-dimensions.
Other three-dimensional television systems have employed high speed shutters to switch polarizers in and out to simulate the three-dimensional effect upon viewing a monitor with stereoscopic video time multiplexed to a single monitor.
Such three-dimensional systems are typified by those described in, for example, Proc. of 15th SPIE Symposium, "Three-dimensional Television", Vol. 3, p. 3-9, Sept. 1980; Proc. of 21st SPIE Symposium, "Very High Resolution Stereoscopic Television", Vol. 120, p. 208-212, Aug, 1977; SPIE, Vol. 199, Advances in Display Technology, p. 42-46, 1979.
As may be seen, prior art systems for generating three-dimensional images have parallax in either the vertical or horizontal axes, and generally require the use of two television cameras and associated channels of electronics, with attendent problems of maintaining the pictures alike, i.e., raster registration, size, brilliancy, focus, etc. Further, readout generally requires some form of visual aid such as polarizing glasses, hoods, etc.